Gael Garcia Bernal says playing Gay is "Cool"

WENN: Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal is baffled by the criticism he has received for taking on roles portraying homosexual characters, because he considers it "cool".

The Latin hunk has played gay men in director Pedro Almodovar's La Mala Educacion (Bad Education) in 2004 and kissed Diego Luna in 2001's Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother, Too).

And he insists he is unabashed about his on-screen past, because it should not have any implication on his acting credentials.

He says, "It's so cool. I don't see what all the fuss is about playing gay characters. When I did Y Tu Mama Tambien, I was asked, 'Don't you worry about what people will say to you in the street?' It seemed like it was such a huge deal.

"Why would it be an issue for me? I think it is a very American thing. In Mexico, no one has given me any s**t for playing gay roles, for playing a transvestite, whatever. They don't confuse the actor with the role. I mean, they don't think Al Pacino's a cop!"

Bernal also admits he is unfazed by nudity - and can't understand why his peers would make such a fuss about disrobing for any movie.

He adds, "Whenever an actor or actress says, 'I won't do nudity unless the story demands it', they're the first people to take their kit off! 'I would only do it for artistic reasons.' Yeah right! Come on, there's nothing artistic about it, but I don't have a problem with it either."